King jokes ‘I’m still alive’ during visit celebrating Walthamstow community

The King joked that he was “still alive” during a visit with the Queen to Walthamstow after August’s peaceful anti-racist protest in the area.

The royal couple attended a community celebration at Waltham Forest Town Hall in east London on Friday, greeting crowds outside.

When Sikh faith representative Harvinder Rattan asked Charles, "How are you?" he smiled and replied, "I'm still alive."

Charles was diagnosed with cancer in February 2024 and is still receiving treatment.

The King then listened to a performance by a children’s choir, A Little Choir of Joy, and told them “I do hope you have a very happy Christmas".

He joked that the children in the choir, aged eight to 12 from local schools, should "make the most of it" for their "poor teachers."

During the visit, Camilla donated 25 toys to Citizens UK for children in asylum hotels, and a donation to a food bank was left on the King’s behalf.

The donation included Waitrose cartons of long-life milk, Christmas puddings, custard and mince pies.

After far-right disorder across some parts of the UK, thousands of people gathered in Walthamstow for a counter-demonstration on August 7.

Speaking after the visit, Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy, said: “The far-right are very active in our local community, and they continue to come and protest here.

“That means that we as a community have to be constantly vigilant and it means a lot that the King has recognised the community, the grassroots activism.

“We never want to get to a place again where people are having to challenge the far right on our streets.”

Buckingham Palace said the peaceful protest demonstrated the “true community spirit of the borough, coming together to keep people and communities safe”.

This is Talking Royals, our weekly podcast about the Royal Family with ITV News' Royal Editor Chris Ship and Royal Producer Lizzie Robinson